It may be possible to reverse type 1 diabetes by training a patient's own immune system to stop attacking their body, an early trial suggests.

Their immune system destroys the cells that make insulin, the hormone needed to control blood sugar levels.

A study in 80 patients, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, showed a vaccine could retrain their immune system.

Experts described the results as a "significant step".

Normally a vaccine teaches the immune system to attack bacteria or viruses that cause disease, such as the polio virus.

Researchers at the Stanford University Medical Centre used a vaccine with the opposite effect - to make the immune system cease its assault.

In patients with type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys beta cells in the pancreas. This means the body is unable to produce enough insulin and regular injections of the hormone are needed throughout life.

It is a different disease to type 2 diabetes, which can be caused by an unhealthy diet.

The vaccine was targeted to the specific white blood cells which attack beta cells. After patients were given weekly injections for three months, the levels of those white blood cells fell.

'New concept'

..... < snip > However, other parts of the immune system seemed to be left intact. ..... < snip >

..... "This vaccine is a new concept. It's shutting off a specific immune response."

The research is at an early stage and trials in larger groups of people, which measure the long-term effect of the vaccine, are still needed.

Prof Steinman said the effect seemed to last for up to two months so regular boosters would be needed. ..... < snip >

That's what I've been told by several physicians who've treated me.Their statements have been backed up by the fact that once,when I lost a lot of weight and got down to a point close to my "normal" weight my doctors took me off the diabetes med I was on as well as all but one of my blood pressure meds.The internist told me that this was common for overweight folks who succeed in losing a lot of weight.But he didn't say it was *universally* true for Type 2.

4
posted on 06/27/2013 3:47:00 PM PDT
by Gay State Conservative
(The Civil Servants Are No Longer Servants...Or Civil.)

:-) Well, this development, while very significant, is somewhat self-explanatory and people viewing may have had no comment of significance to leave or decided not to comment.

Besides, there have been many political news of great importance recently, and people may be busy on those threads or just exhausted (from posting or heat, where applicable) - not that I’d blame them.

This development, however, has wide-ranging implications - it may provide the insight and the method of looking at and treating not only diabetes but any number of autoimmune disorders, by turning off immune system response specific only to that condition.

15
posted on 06/28/2013 5:36:20 PM PDT
by CutePuppy
(If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)

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